Chapter 4 DUÑGEON

HAILEY

The warriors picked me up like a burlap sack and threw me over their hands after binding my hands and legs; every step away from the fresh scent of the human settlement felt like a step toward a death sentence. Amenia is unusually quiet as the warriors continually walk me towards doom with the whole place serene with no one to save me from them or at least break away from them and never see them again in this lifetime. "Please," I rasped, my throat raw, "you don't understand-" "Save it," the taller one snapped, his tone colder than the night air. "Thomas will decide what to do with you." The name alone brought shivers to my spine. Thomas. Alpha, Judge and Executioner. The pack worshipped him as ruthless, traditional, and uncompromising as he is. But I knew better-beneath all that bravado, he was a coward, a manipulator. And still... his word was law. Amenia's voice stirred inside me like a whisper of steel. Remain strong, Hailey. We'll overcome this. I wanted to believe her. God, I wanted to. But my fear was suffocating. The more we moved, the more I lost my sense of hope about my ability to get away from the pack anytime soon because hell is probably already waiting for me. Dim windows glowed faintly, throwing long shadows that felt alive, as though the house itself were watching. The familiar scent of pine and woodsmoke hit me when they shoved me through the back entrance. The smell clawed at my heart-it was once comfort, now disgust. Our footsteps echoed down the halls, loud in the silence. Doors cracked open, eyes peeking out. "She was in the human town." "Does she even know what she's done?" "Thomas will make an example out of her." Their whispers stung worse than claws. I kept my head down, cheeks burning, but I couldn't block their judgement. The warriors flung me into Thomas's study. He stood hunched over a map sprawled across his desk, his broad shoulders tense. Power radiated off him, filling the room. His face darkened when he saw me. "What is the meaning of this?" His voice was low and sharp, like a blade sliding free of its sheath. The taller warrior bowed. "Alpha, we caught her in the human settlement, working there in secret." Thomas's piercing blue eyes cut into me, a storm of rage and disbelief. "Is this true?" The truth clung to me like chains. Lying would change nothing. My voice cracked. "Yes." The room fell silent, oppressive. His hands curled into fists. "Do you understand what you've done? You endangered this entire pack. If the humans discover us-" "They won't," I blurted, desperate. "I was careful. No one suspects-" "You disobeyed my orders." His roar shattered my words. "You spit on our laws. You disgrace us all." Shame burnt in my chest, but so did anger. "I had no choice!" My voice broke, trembling but defiant. "I couldn't breathe here anymore-I-" "You couldn't stay?" He hissed, stepping closer, towering over me like a shadow. "Do you think this is about you? Do you think your selfishness justifies endangering us all?" Tears pricked my eyes. I bit them back, forcing out a whisper. "I just wanted a chance... to be free." Thomas's expression hardened into stone, his lip curling with disdain. "Freedom? You don't even know the meaning of the word." He flicked his gaze at the warriors. "Take her to the dungeon." "No!" Panic ripped out of me as I stumbled against their grip. "Please-I'll do anything, Thomas!" "Silence!" His voice cracked like a whip, final and absolute. The warriors dragged me through the hall again. Faces appeared in doorways-some pitying, most condemning. Their stares weighed me down like stones. The dungeon air hit me like a slap. Cold, damp, and foul with mildew and rust. Iron bars gleamed in the torchlight, and the stink of rot lingered. They shoved me into a cell, the heavy door clanging shut behind me. "You'll remain until the Alpha decides your fate," one warrior muttered before leaving. I collapsed against the stone wall, every muscle shaking. The silence pressed in until Amenia's voice threaded through the darkness. We'll make it through this. Don't forget your strength. "I don't feel strong," I whispered, tears dripping into my hands. Time blurred. Hours. Days. The cold gnawed at me, my body aching, my stomach hollow. The steady drip of water and scurrying rats became my only company. When the hinges screeched, my heart jumped-hope and dread colliding. Thomas stepped inside, his face as unyielding as the stone walls. "You've had time to reflect," he said flatly. "Now you'll face the consequence." I forced myself upright, my legs quivering. "Please, Thomas-" His eyes narrowed, cutting me off. "You chose every step toward that human town. You will answer for it." The warriors seized my arms again, dragging me into the grand hall. The entire pack were gathered, their eyes sharp, hungry for judgement. Their silence was heavier than their whispers, heavier than their glares. Thomas mounted the platform, his presence swallowing the room. His voice thundered. "Hailey has betrayed us. She broke our laws. She endangered our lives. For this, she will face consequences." Every heartbeat screamed in my chest. "Until I decide her fate," he declared, "she will remain in the dungeon." The crowd murmured, some satisfied, some uneasy. The warriors yanked me back down the hall, back into the suffocating dark. The door slammed shut, sealing me in again. I crumbled to the floor in exhaustion and numbness while at the same time I felt rage and defiance. I won't let them break me. Amenia's voice rose within me, steady and unshaken. They'll try. But they underestimate us. I closed my eyes, pressing my palms into the cold stone. "Whatever you have planned, Thomas," I whispered into the dark, "it won't be my end."